1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to materials picking method, and more particularly a dynamic method for assigning materials picking operations instantly to achieve the optimal staff assignments.
2. Related Art
Most companies employ an Automated Storage/Retrieval System (As/RS) to manage the goods and materials in their warehouses, owing to the small area and crowded population of the world and diversified needs of small quantities of materials. The basic operation of the AS/RS is very simple. There are not many species of goods being stored. The storage and shipment form are categorized into large quantities. The shipment is based on totes. Therefore, there is no need to plan the picking mode for the shipment operation. We can almost say in this way that the main function of AS/RS is to focus on storage. But, when the AS/RS is installed in smaller distribution centers with diverse needs that must be met immediately, problems easily occur in the storing and picking operations.
Much research has been devoted to the study of automated warehouses: their design principles and architecture classifications. Only a few attempts have been made to examine materials picking together with automated warehouse systems. The operation time of materials picking occupies more than ⅓ of the whole operation time of a distribution center. Most the operation systems usually adopt fixed materials picking lists to perform picking operations. For the dynamic storage management of a warehouse, or the large variety of loading of picking operations, the job assignment is not easily optimized. Once an order is made, or the picking personnel is assigned according to the loading job at that time, the picking operation cannot be adjusted in response to new orders. This results in choosing only one order. Thus resources cannot be arranged adequately.
Therefore, a method for solving the above-mentioned problems is required such that the materials picking operations can be effectively performed and the assignments of the picking staff can be optimized to improve service quality.